CLEVELAND, Ohio - The AFC East belongs to the New England Patriots. But the other teams in the division look ready to make the leap, provided their young quarterbacks improve.

The Bills used a first-round pick last year on E.J. Manuel. They will rise or fall with him. But the goal should be to surround him with weapons. The Jets also have a young quarterback, Geno Smith, who somehow helped New York get to .500 last season despite a lack of help. And the Miami Dolphins dealt with some off-the-field chaos, which had a hand in derailing their strong start. Offensive linemen to protect Ryan Tannehill should be Miami's top priority.

1. Offensive Tackle – The Buffalo Bills swung for the fences
last year with quarterback E.J. Manuel. The only goal in this draft should be
surrounding him with the pieces to have a successful career and keep him healthy.
Cordy Glenn is a terrific young offensive lineman. He will hold down the left
side. The right side is another story with Chris Hairston and Erik Pears,
who are both overmatched.

2. Wide Receiver – One look at the Bills depth chart and
it's clear there's plenty of quantity. But there's not a lot of quality. Mike
Williams is constantly in trouble. Stevie Johnson dealt with injuries this past
season, and Buffalo's offense looked different without him. Robert Woods is more of a possession receiver. The Bills need a difference
maker at the position, someone who can be Manuel's new best friend.

3. Tight End – Buffalo can get by just fine if they stick
with Scott Chandler – he led the Bills in receptions last year. But Chandler,
like most of the Bills pass-catchers is not very dynamic. He's a reliable,
possession receiver. A mismatch, movable tight end would help take Buffalo's
offense to the next level.

1. Offensive Tackle – No quarterback was sacked more than
Miami youngster Ryan Tannehill. If the goal is to see him succeed then it needs
to start with protection up front. Newly signed Branden Albert will provide a
big boost to the line. But some guy named Jason Fox is currently slated to
start at right tackle. That simply can't happen.

2. Offensive Guard – Along with tackle, the Dolphins will
also need to add a guard as their offensive line is two or maybe even three
starters away from being NFL-caliber.

3. Safety – The Dolphins believe this was a position of
need, which is why they signed Louis Delmas. There is no denying Delmas'
talent. He's a physical, intimidating force that flies around the field. It's
that kind of aggressive play that often has him in the trainer's room. Because
of his injury history (he's played one full season), Miami would be wise to
come up with a backup plan.

1. Defensive Tackle – The contract issue with Vince Wilfork
was resolved as he was given a new extension. However, the big fella that has
been a staple of the Patriots defense since 2004 is now 32 years old and coming
off a season where he played just four games because of an Achilles injury,
which should leave questions about his effectiveness in 2014.

3. Safety – All-Pro Devin McCourty has made a great
transition to safety. Could Duron Harmon be Bill Belichick's next great
out-of-nowhere player? I doubt it. I can't imagine the Patriots believing that
either. It's the only starting position on the entire roster that remains a
question mark.

1. Cornerback – It's been hard to see the Jets' plan at
cornerback considering they traded Darrelle Revis two off-seasons ago and then
let Antonio Cromartie leave for the desert this off-season. Even though they
added Dmitri Patterson in free agency this year, they are still one corner
short in a league where at least three are needed.

2. Wide Receiver – This was the top need coming into the
off-season, and it was improved with the addition of Eric Decker. That was a
great start, but unless Stephen Hill comes back to New York with a new pair of
hands then another pass-catcher is needed.

3. Tight End – The best friend of a young quarterback (Geno
Smith) or an electric, oft-injured and turnover prone one (Michael Vick) is a
reliable tight. There isn't one of those on the roster as Jeff Cumberland has
58 catches in four years.

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